Bride of a Monk
by supervchan
Summary: Fushigi Yugi was the first anime that I watched that wasn't mainstream. Chichiri is my favorite character, so I love writing about him. I hope you enjoy this love story for my favorite character because I believe he deserves a happy ending. I started with a shower scene. I hope you enjoy it. please comment if you have any suggestions or tell me if you liked it.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Years have passed since Miaka returned to her world. They would probably never see her again. Her time in this place was over and the seven Suzaku warriors were scattered returning to their own lives. Nuriko went home to live with his brother. Hotohori was the Emperor again much to the relief of his wife and son. Tasuki went back to Mt. Reikaku, although his bandits were less of bandits since fighting in the war. Chiriko passed the national exam and became an advisor to the Emperor, and Mitsukake had long since disappeared wondering around as a doctor for those in need. However, for Chichiri, this was only the beginning. He had never expected for life to turn the way it did. For so long, his only purpose was to protect Konan and its people as a Celestial Warrior, but his task was finished. He returned to Mt. Taikyoku to complete his training. It was actually at her ladyship's request that he returned. She had another task for him, one that would take the rest of his life.

Chichiri had woken up early to that morning, and had trouble returning to sleep. He left his bedchamber and headed to the waterfall near the bathing pool. Aside from a divine older woman and various young looking spirits there was no one else who lived on the mountain. Chichiri quickly removed his clothes and stepped under the waterfall. He froze immediately when he heard giggling. Instinctively he covered himself with his turban ready to send the young blue haired Nyan-Nyan flying. Sure enough they appeared when he was expecting them, and he sent them flying before they could see any part of his body. Dropping the purple cloth, he returned to bathing. The Nyan-Nyan appeared a second time. They seemed to learn from before and were silent as they took his discarded clothing and turban to wash.

Chichiri was too busy enjoying the wonderful feel of the cool water on his skin, but when he started to feel the chill from the cold water, he turned to put on his clothes. He blushed a little when he realized they were missing. This was not the first time this had happened. He thought about silently teaching those mischievous spirits a lesson the next time he saw them. What he wasn't expecting was a young woman staring at him. He didn't know if he was more surprised to see another person on Mt. Taikyoku or the fact that they were staring at him while showering.

Showering….Oh no! Chichiri panicked in embarrassment. He was naked, and there was no mask on his face to hide his emotions. He had nothing to cover himself with except his hands. Thinking quickly, he dove behind a large rock. He turned around and sat with his back against the boulder refusing to even let his head peek out. He could only pray that the person wouldn't come any closer.

"Who are you?" The woman finally spoke.

"I am..I am Chichiri." Chichiri stuttered as he spoke. His face was still red, but it was okay since she couldn't see him. Still his hands still covered his private area.

"Who are you?" The woman asked again.

"I am one of the Suzaku Warriors." Chichiri answered again, wondering if that was the answer she was looking for. It appeared to be.

"I see" She responded with no emotion.

He heard a splash as if she were stepping into the water, "No please, I beg you. Don't look at me. Don't come near me." She never responded. He realized that the sound he heard was not from her. He heard nothing but silence from her. Peeking his head over the rock slightly, he breathed in relief to find that she was gone. He carefully surveyed his surroundings before walking towards the bank, and there was a robe carefully folded along the bank. On the robe was his name embroidered onto the belt.

"Who are you?" Chichiri asked to himself under his breath. Chichiri pulled the robe over his body. It fit him perfectly. The robe was scented with the sweetest smell that he could not put a name to. Once back in his bedchamber, he found his clothes laundered and folded on his bed. Despite his complaining about Nyan-Nyan's lack of propriety, they actually took great care of him. However, the first thing he put on before his clothes was his smiling mask, his shield to the rest of the world.

After breakfast, Chichiri walked to Lady Taiitsukun's throne room for some answers. There was no way that she did not know who was on the mountain and who wasn't. Her mirror would have shown her long before. Standing before Lady Taiitsukun's throne was the same woman from before. If he looked carefully, he felt as if he had seen her somewhere before.

"Chichiri, come in. There is someone that I would like you to meet." Knowing exactly who it was, Chichiri's whole face turned red again. This time, he remembered to wear his mask.

"We already met this morning." The woman spoke with her same emotionless tone, "I walked passed the bathing pool to come here."

Suddenly, the old Goddess burst into laughter, and Chichiri remained silent, "This is perfect."

"What's perfect?" The woman asked. She sounded bored. Then suddenly her eyes widened. She answered the unspoken words with a serious, "No"

"I never said anything." The Goddess seemed to argue with her.

Nyan-Nyan suddenly appeared next to Chichiri, "How do you like your new bride, Lord Chichiri?"

"My new… br..bride?" Chichiri stuttered, "My lady, I can't get married. I'm a monk"

"You have not taken a vow of chastity, and you a Celestial Warrior first. You are sworn to honor Suzaku aren't you?" Chichiri couldn't deny this, "What else could be a better way to honor him than to marry his daughter."

"His d..d..daughter?" Chichiri looked at the woman. No wonder she looked familiar. She did look like the beast god in his human form. Chichiri had no idea that the beast god that they all worshipped even had children. Still, this didn't change the fact that the heavens wanted him to marry her. How could he, a poor monk, be worthy of that? She was the daughter of a God, one that he was sworn to protect.

"I'm not young anymore. I am way past my prime to marry." Chichiri tried to argue, but deep down he knew that this was pointless. The nosy old Goddess always got her way. Even the other woman stopped arguing.

"You cannot escape this fate, I have already tied the red string of fate to your fingers. This is your new destiny." Lady Taiitsukun decreed. Then with a wave of her hands, she flew them both out of her throne room and closed the door. Chichiri fell on his but, but the woman landed gracefully on one knee as if she were the warrior. This was not good. Chichiri did not want to marry ever. If Lady Taiitsukun had let him, he would have made the vow of chastity a long time ago. The woman slammed her hand on the door once in frustration and then stood up to leave without even looking at him once in the face.

"What is your name?" Chichiri stopped her.

"Suzi" After a very long hesitation, she spoke again, "I was named after my father." Then Suzi, daughter of Suzaku disappeared.

The next morning, he avoided the bathing pond and chose to bath in his room with a bucket, but he was summoned as soon as he was dressed to Lady Taiitsukun's throne room again, "I have a mission for the two of you."

Suzi was already kneeling on one knee, awaiting instructions. Feeling slightly out of place, Chichiri followed suit, "What is your bidding, my lady?"

"I have discovered a new enemy that has entered our world. One who thrives from fill the people's hearts with darkness."

"Darkness should not be feared, my lady."

"Darkness is evil. You should always be cautious when there is darkness.

"Darkness is simply that which we cannot see, but I will investigate." Suzi forgot that Chichiri was in the room as she argued with the older Goddess, "In response, to your request from yesterday. I am not ready, yet. I will need time."

"Take Chichiri with you on this mission. He is rational and won't be a burden." Now both of them were talking about him as if he weren't in the room, but Chichiri learned to be silent.

Chichiri suddenly felt as if he were simply a decoration in that room. He felt entirely unnecessary. There was no purpose of summoning him there that morning if they weren't even going to speak to him. He was surprised at their conversation though. This was the first person that he saw argue with the old Goddess. He found himself suddenly agreeing with Suzi about the darkness though. He thought it was better to approach the situation with an open mind, but Lady Taiitsukun had seemed exceptionally fearful of the darkness they were speaking of. Still he wanted to clarify one thing.

"Suzi…wait" He called out to her before she disappeared again. She stopped, but didn't say anything. She didn't turn around to face him either. To be honest, he didn't mind. He didn't want her to see his face either even with a mask on. He felt that the heat from his face could be seen through the smiling mask, "What did you mean you are not ready? Do you think will be ready? Does that mean you have agreed to her Ladyship's request yesterday?"

"The red string of fate is a divine tool to bind people who are destined to be together. There is no use in fighting it. If our hearts are not there now, it is undeniable that they will be eventually. We will probably marry one day." Suzi spoke again with no emotion in her voice.

Chichiri didn't want it like this. Marriage wasn't supposed to be like this. He thought back to when had been engaged when he was younger. He was happier than anyone could have been. He was genuinely in love with his fiancé at the time, "We should only marry if we are in love."

"I did say that our hearts need to connect first, but I am not ready to connect my heart with anyone at the moment." It was Suzi's turn to hesitate, "Do you want to be married to me?"

"To be honest, I had not thought about it. I only met you yesterday, so I don't know you. I do know this. I won't marry anyone I don't love." Chichiri couldn't see Suzi's face, but he saw her nod.

"Tomorrow, we will leave Mt. Taikyoku. Be ready." Suzi stopped again, "You don't have to avoid the bathing pool. I rarely walk that way."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Travelling with the daughter of Suzaku was very different from travelling with Tasuki. For one thing, she rarely spoke a word unless it was absolutely necessary. Chichiri had travelled a lot during his journey with Miaka and the other Suzaku warriors, but he found himself not recognizing where he was travelling to. It seemed as if they were still on Mt. Taikyoku, but that wasn't possible they had been traveling for nearly the day. It never took that long to descend the mountain before, even on foot. As if sensing that he was about to ask where they were going, Suzi held up her finger to her lips and shook her head. Were they supposed to be silent through their entire journey? His curiousity spiked again. Still he followed her.

In the space of a heartbeat, she disappeared. Someone pushed him to a bush and pinned him to the ground. His mouth and eyes were covered by hands, "Don't move. Don't make a sound."

There were the sounds of hooves walking by, but he recognized Suzi's voice in his ear. He could stop the sound his breathing made, but he could not stop the pounding of his heart of which he was sure that she could hear clearly. It was fortunate that he was laying on his stomach. If he was on his back, he would have surely blushed. Chichiri wasn't sure how long they laid like this, but it was long enough to know that the time felt _very _long. When she finally let him up, she actually held out her hand to help him stand. His stomach growled. This time the blush could not escape his face.

"I forgot that humans need food at regular intervals." Suzi apologized. She left again and returned with an armful of fruit. They ate in silence. After a while she spoke again, "you probably need to relieve yourself as well."

He had completely forgotten his bodily functions such as eating, sleeping, and voiding all day that it all came rushing back to him as she mentioned it. He was exhausted from walking all day, and she was right. He needed to pee. He stood up to walk back into the bushes, "I'll only be a moment."

She stopped him, "You should not leave my side in the Endless Forest."

"But, I need to… you know." Chichiri didn't want to point at himself or talk about it, "you mentioned it first."

"I have to remind myself that you are a human. Humans have needs at regular intervals of which I'm not used to. Still, you should not leave my side in the Endless forest." Suzi seemed to be talking to the grass rather than to him.

"You left to gather fruit, didn't you?" Chichiri pointed out.

"I have navigated the Endless Forest for years, and I never left your side. I was with you the entire time." Suzi pointed up to the tops of the trees where he saw the same fruit that they had eaten.

"Oh well, this 'bodily function' as you called it is a private thing. It's not something I like to do in front of others." By now Chichiri was shifting his feet. He realized that she wasn't even paying attention to him. "I'm going to stand near the bush over here. Don't watch me, and crinkle this for a few minutes." He handed her some dry leaves.

"Why do you want me to manipulate these leaves, the noise will attract attention." Suzi put the leaves down. Chichiri sighed. He was worried about his modesty, and she was worried about their safety or rather just his. He really needed to get over this.

"Just don't watch me" Chichiri said as he stood on the side, facing away from her. He tried very hard not to think about the woman just a few feet way while he did his business. It took longer than usual to relax, but when he finished, he felt more embarrassed.

"I thought you ought to know that the piece of cloth you hold over your face does nothing from here on out. It hides none of your expressions because everyone here can use divine magic. Hiding your face, can be seen as a sign of disrespect in this world." Suzi pointed to his mask. Chichiri knew that he should just give up arguing with her. Her reasons always had a point, and Chichiri took off his mask.

"Don't ask about the scar. I'll talk about it when I'm ready." Chichiri turned his face away from her a little.

"You have walked this life for thirty years. Everyone has scars, but some are simply visible to others." Suzi leaned back as if she were going to fall asleep. Chichiri laid down next to her, feeling comfortable.

"Do you have scars?" Chichiri asked the sky, rather than her.

"Yes" She whispered. Suzi waited for him to fall asleep, "My sins are my scars, and my sins are far greater than what you think yours are."

In the morning, Chichiri found a pair of horses waiting for them. Suzi asked if he could ride, and looked relieved to know that he did, "I wasn't always a monk. I did attend school like everyone else."

"Perhaps it is time to tell you where we are going. Yesterday, you wanted to ask me, and I apologize for not letting you ask. The entrance to the Endless Forest is tricky. There are very few who can navigate it successfully." Suzi paused and let her horse walk at a slower pace, "The Endless Forest can connect worlds through their magic."

Which world are we going to?" Chichiri asked.

"The Shadow World, and we might pass by the valley of the dead. Spirits that once walked this earth rest there in perfect peace. The Shadow World has guarded their existence. I looked into a bit of your history, if you don't mind. I asked a friend of yours to be our guide." Suzi spoke calmly.

"I do mind," Chichiri muttered under his breath. If she looked into his history, she would have seen the past that he was slowly healing from. No one likes people looking into their weaknesses without their permission. What he saw before him, left him breathless. The forest cleared and they stood before a dark gate.

"Welcome to the Shadow World. Lady Suzi, it is good to have you return." A familiar voice spoke.

"Hikou," Chichiri said, unable to hide his surprise. The last time they met, he had tried to kill the Priestess of Suzaku. Despite being someone that Chichiri cherished very much, he was wary.

"I had hoped that I would meet you again, Houjun."

"Hikou has been granted special status, and he guides new spirits from the living world to the Valley of the dead. He is on his way to being promoted to an angel." Lady Suzi seem to beam. Was it wrong for Chichiri to feel a tinge of jealousy that his best friend knew the person would eventually become his wife before him?

"Is she here too?" Chichiri was almost afraid to ask.

"Yes, but you are not allowed to meet her yet, I'm sorry." Hikou genuinely looked sorry, "I'm sorry for what happened during your trial. I am really sorry. No one should have to go through that."

Suzi didn't respond. Perhaps she had some scars that she didn't want to reveal either, but he didn't have a magic mirror to look into her past as she did with him, "I am here on a social visit."

"I am sure he will be pleased, this way." Hikou led them through a fog where Chichiri couldn't see anything. He couldn't even see Suzi, and he became increasingly nervous. Sensing his feelings, Suzi took his hand. Hikou stopped in front of a house, "Houjun, I'm glad you don't wear that mask anymore. You should really have that eye healed. I'm sure you couldn't have made a full recovery by now."

"I know. I haven't had a chance, and I've gotten used to it a little. I will do it when the time is right." Chichiri was suddenly regretting taking his mask off.

"This is where the son of Seiryuu resides, and I am here to extend him a wedding invitation." Suzi explained to Hikou.

"Lady Suzi, are you getting married?" Hikou asked in a teasing sort of way.

"Yes, I am."

"To who?" Hikou asked. His eyes widened when he saw the hand that Suzi was holding, "Houjun, I am happy for you. You deserve to be happy after all these years. You can finally let her go."

Chichiri was angry now. He wasn't angry before, but he was angry now. His mask was blessedly gone, and everyone could see his anger. Hikou seemed amused, and Suzi if she noticed made no expression about it. He had told her exactly how he felt about their marriage. They were not engaged. They were simply tied together because an old Goddess wanted it to be so. Until a couple of days ago, he had no idea who this person was. He could barely grasp her personality. Now she wanted to announce to the entire world that they were engaged. To him, his feelings and his relationships were personal and private. What was worse, he couldn't do anything about it. He was a warrior of Suzaku, and this was Suzaku's daughter. There was no way he was going to disrespect his God by refusing. He could do nothing expect be angry.

Then Chichiri caught her eye for the first time, and he suddenly realized what she was doing. As if she were a trained politician, she was using their relationship to gather information. His feelings and his life were nothing but a tool to her, "Hikou, I believe Chichiri is exhausted. We have been travelling for a long time. Perhaps some food, and rest before we meet Nath?"

"Of course, my lady." Hikou led them to a house, "You can stay here. I will send him in the morning for breakfast."

Suzi thanked him before opening the door. When the door closed behind him, Chichiri exploded, "How dare you do this to me. I am a person with feelings. I told you that I will not marry if I am not in love. I am not in love with you. You also told me that you did not want to connect your heart with anyone. Why are you telling them, you are inviting them to a wedding?"

"Nathador, heir to Seiryuu, can see the red string. There is no hiding it from him. Its better to seem as if we approve than for him to find a way to use it against us. This is the way Nath works." Suzi was standing in front of Chichiri, looking him square in the eyes, "I never said that I would not marry you. We will be married one day, won't we?"

Chichiri had nothing to say to that. What about his feelings? He was not about to be hurt again. He didn't want to be in a relationship. He didn't want to be in love. He never wanted to go through the hurt that he went through when both the people he loved the most were taken from him, and they both died. He was not prepared for what would happen next. Suzi pulled his face down and planted her lips to his and deepened the kiss.

"Tell me honestly, do you think that this kiss feels like it wasn't supposed to happen?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chichiri stood there shocked. His body was frozen. He didn't know what to do or what to move. His face, he was sure, was as red as a tomato. Part of him was still upset. He had never been touched so intimately by a woman before. When he was engaged to Kouran, he was excited to experience everything for the first time with her. When Hikou kissed her, he was angry that they could not have that first experience together, but this was different. He suddenly understood how Kouran felt with her guilt, but he also could not deny that he felt good which is what embarrassed him so much. Her was a woman that he hardly knew, who was the daughter of the God that he worshiped with all his might, and she had her lips on him like it was where they had belonged the entire time. When she let him go she stared into his eyes and asked, "Can you tell me honestly that that didn't feel right?"

"I…"Chichiri's face turned redder if that was possible. He turned around so that she couldn't see his face. He wished more than anything that he still had his mask, but Chichiri remembered that she said it was useless, "I've never…"

It was Suzi's turn to looked shocked, "I thought you were engaged."

"We never…" Chichiri couldn't even bring himself to talk about it. He wasn't sure if it was because someone tied a string to their finger, or that he was terrified that this woman would be the one that he would fall in love with again, but he could feel his heart begin to stir, "Are we to be wed?"

"Probably" Suzi smiled, "Look at me"

"No, I don't want you to see my face right now." Chichiri paused, "I don't even want to look at my face right now."

Suzi tried to turn him around, but he stopped her. In fact, he put his arm across his eyes to hide his tears, "What's wrong? Talk to me. I will listen."

"I…" Chichiri's voice broke, "It has been so long for me to be close to someone."

"Is it because we are in this place?" Suzi asked with some distance in her voice. She finally understood his feelings. He was not far from the woman that he loved and lost. Grieving the dead and moving on, for humans, was supposed to be permanent thing. Even if Suzi and Chichiri were destined to be together, for years, even after Kouran's death, he only thought of her. Suzi was no stranger to pain, "I'm not in love with you."

"I know," Chichiri replied honestly, "If we get closer than we are, I will fall in love with you though, and I'm afraid."

"Love is terrifying especially when we have failed before." Suzi said remembering her own tragic love story. The only person who knew what happened was the Old Goddess. If she told Chichiri her story, they would be connected forever. Even Suzi wasn't sure if she was ready for that, "I have a story that I'm terrified to tell, but you have to know that if you know it then it will begin our connection. This connection which already fated us together will strengthen."

"Do you want to tell it to me?" Chichiri wiped his eyes and turned to her with eyes that had just finished crying. He was not used to be the vulnerable one, but looking at her frightened eyes told him that he wasn't the only one who was afraid of their union.

"Do you want to hear it?" Suzi asked.

"I don't know yet." Chichiri looked away again.

"If you marry someone who you are not fated to be with, the result will only end in tragedy. The reason why neither of our past relationships have worked was because they were not fated to be with us." Suzi waved her hand so that she could show him the red string that tied them together, "This string was not decided by her Ladyship, but it was destined from the moment that we were born. It will only appear to us Celestial beings when we stand before our fated one for the first time."

"Why don't they tell us? It would prevent those tragedies," Chichiri said, thinking about his friends who died. If he wasn't meant to be with Kouran, why did fate allow him to fall in love with her, "It wouldn't hurt so much."

"Everything happens for a reason, and the reason might not be clear when it happens, but someday a person's death will lead to a fate that was meant to happen. If people try to fight it, the universe will be imbalanced." Suzi explained, "I've given up trying to fight fate. I've tried it twice now and failed. I will marry the person that I am fated to be with or not marry at all"

"You think you are fated to be with me?" Chichiri asked. Suzi showed him the string, "I don't know if I believe that, but I do know that if you get any closer, I know that I will fall in love."

"The reason why you know that is because we are meant to be together." Suzi put her hand against his cheek, "If we are apart, a tragedy will happen. I've already lost so much. I can't let people suffer because of my selfishness."

"I don' t understand, did you do something?" Chichiri asked.

"I was married once, "Suzi looked way so that she couldn't meet his eyes, "I had even given birth to our first child."

"You have a child?" Chichiri asked with curiousity rather than surprise.

"I had a child" Suzi willed her voice not to break, "my husband murdered my son, and so I killed him with all the magic that I could someone within me. In fact, he is not even in the valley of the dead. I destroyed his soul so that he could never have a peaceful afterlife."

"He deserved it, "Chichiri said confidently.

"No one deserves, what I did. The revenge doesn't bring my child back. As a punishment, I was betrayed by my sister." Suzi explained, "I was engaged a second time because I had seen her Ladyships mirror. I had thought that this person was my destined one so I did everything I could. We were engaged, and the night before we were to be wed. I found him with my identical sister."

"Your sister," Chichiri turned Suzi around and pulled her in his arms, "You were mistaken about who you were fated to be with because you were fated to be with me."

"It appears to be"

"If you and your sister are identical than whatever you saw in her Ladyships mirror was your sister and not you. The person you are tied to is me." Chichiri held her tightly.

"Now I know that. What about you? Do you believe now?" Suzi asked. Chichiri didn't know what he was doing, but he didn't want to answer that question with is words. He captured her lips himself this time.

"You and I will be wed." Chichiri surprised himself by saying those words out loud. He was still afraid, but he realized that the woman before him was much more afraid than he was. He kissed her again, deeper this time. Suzi leaned in and allowed herself to trust him. He stopped suddenly and his cheeks turned bright red. Chichiri ran as fast as he could into the other room. With the door shut, he called out, "I have a human function to attend to."

Suzi looked confused, "Where did you go?"

"I'm going to bathe," Chichiri said refusing to elaborate. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the door opened. He grabbed his turban and covered his body quickly, "Please, give me a moment alone."

"It will take a long time to heat the water, "Suzi pointed to the tub filled with cold water. Chichiri backed up so that his back side face the wall and he held the turban all the way up to his chin so that it covered everything down to his knees. He tried to wrap it around his entire body so that his chest was covered too. He didn't want to know how red his cheeks were. His hands slyly reached out to grab his hat which he used to cover his intimate area that was already covered.

"It's alright, I won't be long. I just need a moment alone, please" He begged. Suzi looked at him, and Chichiri brought the turban up to cover his face too, "Don't look"

"I'm going to help you heat the water so you don't get sick. Why are you hiding your face?" Suzi asked innocently.

"Humans don't like other people to see their naked bodies. It's a very private and intimate thing." Chichiri kept shifting to try and hide more of him from her, "I've never…No one has ever seen….me before."

Then something else caught his attention, the room became warmer from the steam coming off the tub, Suzi walked towards him. Chichiri tried to shrink a little, "It won't matter once we are wed, right?"

"We aren't yet, so could you please let me bathe alone." Chichiri had never been so embarrassed in his life. No one had ever seen his body except a couple of blue spirits, "Or turn around, so that I can undress privately."

Suzi turned to face the door, "While we are in this world, we shouldn't be separated. I don't know why you are so ashamed. Your body is beautiful."

Chichiri flushed red again, "My body is something I like to keep to myself though."

Suzi pulled a bottle out of her robes, and turned around again. Chichiri pulled up his knees and hugged them to himself, "Turn around."

"Use this, it's a scented soap that I brought from her Ladyship's mountain." Suzi walked towards Chichiri who was trying to sink further into the tub, "She poured the contents into the hot water."

The floral scent began to help Chichiri relax immediately, "What is that? It smells good." Chichiri was torn between trying to hide himself from her gaze and the relaxing aroma coming from the water. He squeezed his knees together a little tighter.

"It's an oil from the eternal lotus blossom. It will help calm you." Suzi turned her back again, "Relax, I will give you your space. You should try being more comfortable around me."

"You and I just met recently. I'm sure, I will start feeling more comfortable as we spend more time together. I'm just not ready for anyone to see my body yet. Perhaps someday," Chichiri leaned back, "Suzi, don't turn around. I would just like to tell you that, I'm glad that its you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chichiri didn't know how long he was in that tub for, but he never felt the water lose its warmth. He had no idea how he was going to get out with her seeing him or even to dry off. He was almost afraid to ask her because she might turn around again. Her world and his seemed to be very different. Also, her magic was much stronger than his was. He must have been in there a long time, but Suzi never turned around after she put the oils in the tub. He also looked around the room, it was a small hut with only one bed. He had no doubt that they would probably share that because she did not understand human space. Still, he knew that he couldn't stay in the tub forever.

"Um…Do you know if there are towels here?" Chichiri asked quietly.

"I don't think so. You are the first human who is still alive that has been here, and the first to take a bath." Suzi replied still facing the wall, "If you like, I can dry your body off with a spell"

"I don't want you to see me." Chichiri said instinctively, hugging his knees a little closer.

"You will get sick if you put on wet clothes, will you not? Humans have fragile bodies. At least that's what I have witnessed." Suzi said to the wall.

"Can you teach me the spell?" Chichiri asked hoping that it was a possible solution than the one he didn't want to use. Why was he being so difficult. What did he think was going to happen when they were wed? He was shocked that he had actually agreed to marry this young goddess. He suddenly thought about the severity of that idea. He was going to marry a _Goddess_. That was terrifying.

"I can't really teach it to you without showing you." Suzi said with very little emotion, "Tell me what you decide."

"Can you use the drying spell with your eyes closed?" Chichiri asked, praying that at least this would be an option.

"I've never done that before, but I suppose I could try. It would be quite difficult though." Suzi said.

"I'm going to stand directly behind you so all you have to do is turn around with your eyes closed to cast the spell." Chichiri said. He got out of the tub carefully, and covered himself with his hands. Suzi, with her eyes closed, turned around. Chichiri's cheeks warmed at their closeness, "Alright, please cast the spell."

Suzi put out her hands to gather magic into them, but they were so close that she touched his wet chest. Chichiri jumped out of his skin. She could feel him flinch, "Could you take a step back. Just one will do."

"Alright" Chichiri did as she asked. He could see the magic swirling around her hands, and then suddenly he felt a cold breeze like the water was leaving his body. Suzi had not used that spell in a long time. It was mostly used for clothing, and she had never used it on a human before. She had no idea how strong her wind was until Chichiri flew into her arms. Suzi's eyes flew open when he fell on top of her. He caught her right before her head hit the wall. He stood her back up and turned around quickly, when he remembered his state of undress, "Could you clothes your eyes again, please."

"I can't control it unless I see what I'm doing. Just bare with it, and then you can dress again to cover your modesty," Her words made his face redder. He refused to turn around though, but she insisted, "I need to see what I'm doing, Chichiri. I know you are a human who has ideas about who should be allowed to see your body, but you will get sick if you stay soaking wet like that."

Chichiri closed his own eyes. There was no way around it, was there? Why did he even take a bath in the first place. Then he remembered the kiss they shared, and his body reacted again, "I can't face you right now. I'm very embarrassed right now."

Suzi lost her patience and put his hands on his shoulders to turn him around. Chichiri bent forward and covered himself with his hands, "Chichiri straighten up so I can perform my spell. It will only take a moment."

"Don't look," Chichiri tried to curl up into a ball to hide more of his body from her, "Don't stare at me"

"Stand up, if you let me use my magic, I won't have time to stare at you." Suzi was now very annoyed with him.

"I'm just going to get dressed so close your eyes or turn around again. Please, I'm begging you, don't look at me." Chichiri's face was flushed and his eyes were squeezed shut.

"Suit yourself," Suzi turned around long enough to hear him stand up before she whirled around and dried him quickly with her magic. It was strong and powerful. Chichiri barely had time to cover his private area before he flew towards her again.

"Ahhhh," Chichiri yelled torn between bracing for impact and hiding himself, but his safety instinct won. As soon as he removed his hands to catch himself, she summoned his clothing and he was dressed instantly. She caught him before he crashed into her, "How did you do that?"

"I'm one of the strongest demi-goddesses in the heavens. I told you before, as long as I can see what I'm doing, it would be finished quickly." Suzi smiled at him. Chichiri was more embarrassed now about making such an ordeal from her trying to help him than he was that she was seeing him naked.

"I'm sorry" Chichiri said honestly, "You must think I'm very weak."

"I think you have been protecting yourself from pain for a long time. You haven't trusted someone with your heart for years." Suzi said with her understanding tone of voice.

The next morning, Suzi visited her cousin Nathador, who was thrilled at the invitation for their wedding. He seemed to sense her ulterior motive, but he knew her well enough not to going prodding until she was ready to ask for his help, "It seems that that fate has given you a good choice."

"I agree," Suzi smiled as she held Chichiri's hand, "What about you Nath? I thought you were engaged to the Princess of Naverina."

"She's here." Nathador admitted. Suzi realized what he meant.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Suzi really felt for her cousin having gone through two mistakes herself. After all the small talk, she finally decided to poke around to see if he knew something, "Her Ladyship is concerned."

"Her Ladyship is always concerned, what is it about this time?" Nathador asked.

"She received rumors of hooded figures." Suzi gave him some information, but she didn't need to reveal it all. He had known her for a long enough time to understand her. Chichiri seemed to flinch at their closeness. He had to remind himself that they were only family. He looked down at his finger to see the red string tied and smiled. If this was fate, than he had nothing to worry about right?  
"The Oath keepers have begun to make their move. Any sign of evil will be dealt with, but I'll keep you updated to appease _Her_" Nathador smiled.

Hikou once again guided them to the edge of the Endless Forest, "Chichiri, I don't think you need to be sad anymore. Be happy, she told me that she wants to see you happy."

Chichiri held his friend, sorry to let him go again, "Will I see you again?"

"Perhaps, as Suzi's husband, you will be granted access to places that mortals don't normally. Your status as a Suzaku Warrior will be replaced by Divine Prince Consort." Hikou explained.

"I won't be a Suzaku Warrior anymore?" Chichiri asked.

"No, you will be Suzaku's Son-In-Law" Hikou chuckled. If Chichiri was nervous before, he was terrified now. There was no way that he would be allowed into the family of the God that he worshipped, would he? Suzi led him back into the Endless Forest.

"How do you know where to go through here?" He finally asked her, "Is it truly endless?"

"It's endless to those who are not from our world." Suzi said, "We come from the heavens full of Gods and Goddesses. We call her Ladyship, the Priortess. She was the beginning of our line. Like our lifespan, this forest is endless."

"I'm only human though." Chichiri said, "Is it alright to allow me to be in your family?"

"When we are wed, and the heavens have given their permission, you will live as long as I do" Suzi smiled, "Your status will be promoted."

"You can do that?"

"You could have done it as a human too, if you had cultivated enough energy. You were a disciple of her ladyship. Did you even know what you were training for?" Suzi giggled.

"I was going to become immortal?" Chichiri asked.

"You already were. How did you think that the fallen Suzaku Warriors were reincarnated? You have been blessed by Suzaku, the guardian of the south. You have been granted a special status above ordinary human." Suzi explained, "But, I sense what her ladyship was worried about. It would benefit us, if we were wed sooner rather than later."

"Shouldn't we get to know each other first?" Chichiri said, nervously.

"In our next conflict, there might be a conflict that will involve the heavens. It would benefit your cause and ours for you to have more power. Plus, it would give me piece of mind." Suzi led him back to the holy mountain, "I'll give you some time to reflect before we do anything."

"Thank you," He kissed her softly.


End file.
